Anyone have a Boerboel ?

CorvusCorax said:
As a generalisation, I do think it is irresponsible for anyone to say 'you can have whatever breed or line of dog you want, based on looks, as long as you socialise or train it'.
That's just not true in many cases. Look at that video of the sheepdog puppy posted last week....that's born, not made. I've never seen a police pug. A St Bernard won't win at flyball.
That's not what they're for.

Lots of dogs are lovely in their home environments. It's when they reach a certain age and/or are subjected to stress or stimuli when you see what's in them.
Click to expand...

Totally agree.
My CC is trustworthy in the environments that I have her in but I would never have her in a situation where she is at risk of being a liability to anyone. She's 8 now and I have never been in a sticky situation with her (which is more than I can say for the ruddy terriers with their prey drive!)
I'm lucky in that we have 150 acres of private farmland for her to be walked on. I certainly wouldn't want a dog like that if I lived in a town/worked during the day etc.
 
CorvusCorax said:
As a generalisation, I do think it is irresponsible for anyone to say 'you can have whatever breed or line of dog you want, based on looks, as long as you socialise or train it'.
That's just not true in many cases. Look at that video of the sheepdog puppy posted last week....that's born, not made. I've never seen a police pug. A St Bernard won't win at flyball.
That's not what they're for.

Lots of dogs are lovely in their home environments. It's when they reach a certain age and/or are subjected to stress or stimuli when you see what's in them.
Click to expand...

Absolutely this ^^^^^
 
CorvusCorax said:
As a generalisation, I do think it is irresponsible for anyone to say 'you can have whatever breed or line of dog you want, based on looks, as long as you socialise or train it'.
That's just not true in many cases. Look at that video of the sheepdog puppy posted last week....that's born, not made. I've never seen a police pug. A St Bernard won't win at flyball.
That's not what they're for.

Lots of dogs are lovely in their home environments. It's when they reach a certain age and/or are subjected to stress or stimuli when you see what's in them.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree! I for one would welcome testing and licensing for this exact reason.

Mastiffs are my dog of choice (I wouldn't have anything else again) because yes i do like the look of them obviously but i feel safe with one around (although my current DDB X english mastiff is as daft as a brush) and TBH I really don't like small dogs, they get under your feet and yap, I just feel more comfortable around big dogs, they are my comfort zone and I know how to handle them, maybe because I was brought up with horses so a mastiff is a little like having a horse thats allowed in the house :D I have to say although I appreciate that they can look menacing, I don't half get annoyed when ignorant people assume that they are aggressive and pass stupid comments or cross over the road to avoid walking past. I take great pride when people stop to ask me about the breed though, it's always nice to educate people who take an interest
 
Fellewell said:
Statistically, you're still more likely to get bitten by a Labrador.
Click to expand...

well yes-but only because there are more labradors. what about matched numbers of each?
As an ex VN, I can tell you I was way more likely to be bitten by a Westie than anything else but that I would rather be bitten by a westie than anything bigger-the margin for error in massive breeds is just so much smaller due to the damage they could do.
 
rowan666 said:
Absolutely agree! I for one would welcome testing and licensing for this exact reason.

Mastiffs are my dog of choice (I wouldn't have anything else again) because yes i do like the look of them obviously but i feel safe with one around (although my current DDB X english mastiff is as daft as a brush) and TBH I really don't like small dogs, they get under your feet and yap, I just feel more comfortable around big dogs, they are my comfort zone and I know how to handle them, maybe because I was brought up with horses so a mastiff is a little like having a horse thats allowed in the house :D I have to say although I appreciate that they can look menacing, I don't half get annoyed when ignorant people assume that they are aggressive and pass stupid comments or cross over the road to avoid walking past. I take great pride when people stop to ask me about the breed though, it's always nice to educate people who take an interest
Click to expand...

You "don't half get annoyed when ignorant people assume they are aggressive and pass stupid comments" and yet you are happy to state that you "really don't like small dogs, they get under your feet and yap". Hypocritical or what?

As the owner of a small dog who neither gets under my feet nor yaps, I resent your comments. Sorry but I think you are as ignorant as the people who get on your wick :(
 
MotherOfChickens said:
well yes-but only because there are more labradors. what about matched numbers of each?
As an ex VN, I can tell you I was way more likely to be bitten by a Westie than anything else but that I would rather be bitten by a westie than anything bigger-the margin for error in massive breeds is just so much smaller due to the damage they could do.
Click to expand...

There's always the psychological damage of being bitten by anything, especially for children. I have a breed who are generally mistrusted even though their problems generally stem from them being big girls blouses!

It's interesting with vets, I've known some who didn't like handling bc's and others who weren't fond of cockers. Maybe it's a demographic thing?

I suppose the bottom line is I remember the press regarding pit bulls and yet I'm still not falling over them every time I leave the house.
 
I too resent the generalisation that little dogs yap & get under your feet - my terriers do neither....

However, I also get sick of the ignorant people who see a big mastiff type dog and immediately assume it's an out of control killer....
I can't tell you the number of times I've had my 4 dogs sat on leads by the side of a path so that approaching dogs don't get a sharp nip on the nose from my smallest terrier who seems to think that getting the first punch in when he meets a strange dog will prevent him from getting squashed.
I have had abuse yelled at me and been told "it should be muzzled if it bites" to which I reply "which one" - the response is always "the big one"......
I take great delight informing them that actually it's the smallest one that is the reason that they're all sat here and that I'm more likely to bite their (often out of control) precious pet than the big one....
 
My YO got a bitch puppy last summer and she is lovely. One of the sweetest, sooky dogs i know. She loves the kids on the yard too though she does sometimes forget how big she is!
 
I will only ever have bull breeds , I have a bullmastiff girl and a British bulldog boy. My second BM sadly passed away 2yrs ago. I have found them totally gentle and loving with not a hint of malice and would recommend BM's to anyone but not bulldogs for children as IME they don't take to being poked / prodded or pulled about.

I was taken with the Boerboel when I saw a stunning girl on a website, she was a pied colour and I didn't know what she was so looked it up and she was a BoerBoel.

I like large beefy dogs with personality and anything like a spaniel or lurcher leaves me cold, in fact it would be hard for me to choose another breed tbh. I just don't do small dogs and it has nothing whatsoever to do with appearing tough , I am a middle aged lady lol.

As far as the Boerboel I have never seen a breed at the total ends of the temperament spectrum from those describing devil dogs to those saying they are very loving .
 
I don't see where anyone has said devil dog. I see people who say they are dogs who are lovely on their own patch and with people they know and are introduced to, but who react strongly when they feel that they, their property or their people are under threat.
And because of their size and power, wouldn't be easy to handle in that situation.
Which is exactly what it says on the Boerboel tin and that is why they are used to protect farms in their native land.
If you don't want that then I'd suggest you go for something else. Square pegs and round holes and all that.
You don't sound sold.

There is good and bad in every breed. I'm very breed centric but I wouldn't recommend my own breed to everyone and there are certain dogs and lines that I wouldn't want about me.
 
Umbongo said:
Only met a couple in veterinary practice. Both were so dangerously aggressive that they basically lived a life with Baskerville muzzles on and could only be examined once sedated.
Click to expand...

This sounds pretty devil dog to me.

It's no reflection on the poster though, that's her experience of them and experiences are what I asked for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top